Acute Severity Versus Long-term Morbidity: Uncoupling the Roles of RSV and HRV in Childhood Respiratory Disease
This retrospective cohort study compared RSV and HRV in hospitalized children with acute lower respiratory tract infections, analyzing 722 cases with 36-month follow-up. RSV was associated with greater acute illness severity (more pneumonia, fever, and longer hospital stay), whereas HRV showed a distinct eosinophil-predominant inflammatory profile and broader age distribution. Despite milder acute disease, HRV was independently associated with a higher long-term risk of physician-diagnosed asthma and recurrent wheezing. RSV, in contrast, was linked more to short-term clinical severity rather than chronic morbidity. Clinical implications: These findings suggest RSV as a driver of acute pediatric respiratory burden, and HRV as a stronger predictor of later asthma risk, supporting virus-specific strategies for follow-up and prevention. Full Access: OFID
Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly – Daily update: 23 May 2026
WHO Member States adopted over 20 decisions and multiple resolutions addressing major global health priorities, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), health workforce governance, radiation safety, and health financing reform. General Assembly target of 10% reduction in bacterial AMR-associated deaths in humans, while also reducing antimicrobial use in agrifood systems, and minimizing environmental pollution from resistant microbes and antimicrobial residues. Clinical implications: These resolutions collectively emphasize stronger health system capacity, improved workforce distribution, and heightened preparedness for AMR and radiation-related risks, directly impacting infection control, diagnostic safety, and resource allocation in clinical practice. Full Access: WHO
Durability of Doxycycline Effectiveness Against Gonorrhea After Implementation of Post-Exposure Prophylaxis in Southern California, USA: A Retrospective, Test-Negative, Observational Study
A retrospective analysis assessed infection trends over time and whether protection against gonorrhea waned following widespread doxy-PEP use. Overall, doxy-PEP showed persistent but more modest effectiveness against gonorrhea compared with stronger effects seen for other bacterial STIs, without clear evidence of rapid loss of benefit over the study period. Findings also highlighted ongoing concerns about antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the need for continued surveillance.
Clinical implications: Doxy-PEP remains a useful STI prevention tool, but should be paired with resistance monitoring and stewardship to preserve tetracycline efficacy and guide evolving guidelines. Full Access: The Lancet
Antibiotics for the Uncomplicated Acute Sore Throat to Prevent Invasive Group A Streptococcus (Igas) – A Critical Analysis of Current Evidence
The article critically evaluates whether prescribing antibiotics for uncomplicated acute sore throat can meaningfully prevent invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS). It estimates that only a very small fraction of iGAS cases could theoretically be prevented—up to ~6.7% in children and ~2.8% in adults under idealized assumptions, and far less under guideline-based strategies (≈1–2%). The number needed to swab or treat is extremely high, with estimates in the tens of thousands per prevented iGAS case, reflecting very low population-level impact. The authors highlight that most iGAS cases are not preceded by uncomplicated sore throat, limiting the preventive potential of this strategy. Clinical implications: Prevention of iGAS should not be used as a justification for routine antibiotic prescribing in sore throat; instead, focus should remain on judicious antibiotic stewardship and early recognition of true invasive disease. Full Access: IJID